Smart parking comes to Manchester

Motorists in Manchester, UK, will soon be able to find vacant parking spaces in the city centre using their mobile phones. Manchester City Council is testing new technology, used in US cities, with electronic sensors placed in parking bays in the Northern Quarter and Chinatown areas.

“This technology has proved very successful in US cities, where it has been welcomed by both businesses and motorists who say it has made finding parking spaces much easier and reduced the need for people to drive around looking for available bays,” said Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment. “I believe motorists coming into Manchester to shop, eat in restaurants or go to the theatre will find it just as useful.”

In what will be the first major trial for a UK city, motorists will be able to download a mobile phone app which will enable them to see in real time which bays are available, reducing the need for people to drive around looking for spaces. The free Parker app, available for iPhones and Android devices, can also act as a satellite navigation system, directing motorists to the nearest available bay and is voice-activated so can be used while driving.

The City Council, along with its contractor NSL, is working with US-based company, Streetline, to trial the new system, which is currently being used successfully in cities such as Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York. NSL is providing the equipment free of charge for the six-month trial, and sensors are being placed in 200 bays but, if successful, the system could be extended to other parts of the city centre.

“We’re really pleased that Manchester has chosen to trial Parker,” said Nigel Coltman, local government director from NSL. “With 30 percent of drivers looking for a parking space at any one time, we’re confident that it will significantly reduce carbon emissions, resulting in a more pleasant and less fraught environment for all.”

The app, which recently won an innovation award at an international award ceremony in Barcelona, will also be linked to the City Council’s existing pay by phone system. Meanwhile, it will also enable parking bosses to see detailed information about which bays are being used at what times, and for how long.